Stay With Me
by shannyfish
Summary: Three years later, Team Arrow is still looking for Felicity. Told from a different POV per short chapter.
1. Diggle: A Prayer

_There are things_

_that we don't want to happen_

_but have to accept,_

_things we don't want to know_

_but we have to learn,_

_and people we can't live without_

_but have to let go._

_. . ._

"It's been YEARS now, Oliver," Diggle told him. "I want to believe this…meta-human as much as you do, but sometimes you DO have to give up. I know it's hard. I love her, too. We've looked everywhere we could think and we've come up with nothing." Diggle sighed. "Hoping is just hurting us…all of us…"

"She's out there—"

"Don't you think I thought about her on Sara's birthday? All I could think about was how Felicity would have never missed any of her birthdays…and now she's missed all three of them. She's the only person we consider family who was there the day she was born who has missed everything else," Diggle explained. "I can image exactly how Felicity would be with Sara now and what gifts she'd buy…but that's not going to bring her home."

"Maybe Lyla—"

"IF ARGUS DID have something, Oliver, don't you think that Lyla would have found it?" Diggle questioned. "Lyla was her friend, too."

"Felicity IS out there."

For three years, they'd been looking for Felicity Smoak. For three years, they'd have nothing to go on. It was like she'd just disappeared. They'd filed police reports and even Ray Palmer had put out different awards for information or for her return. Palmer had offered millions… No one had ever come forward with any information that gave them anything that ever panned out. It really was like one day she'd just vanished. Her disappearance was Oliver's obsession and it had kept him from moving forward in life, sometimes it was too hard for Diggle, but then his hope would end up being renewed.

After three years, though, people gave up. Captain Lance

"I told you, you should let ARGUS see this meta-human," Diggle told him. "Maybe they could discover something…something new."

"You know that's not MY choice," Oliver countered.

Diggle knew that.

He did.

Doctor Harrison Wells had the meta-human in Central City in his meta-human prison that was once the particle accelerator which actually was what had created all of the meta-humans like The Flash. It seemed like Wells was locking up most of the meta-humans, it was just Barry Allen so far who seemed pardoned from it. Maybe it was just Allen's personality or maybe it was his superpower. They knew Barry and Diggle knew he was a good guy, it just seemed odd to him that only Allen could possess the right skill set to actually help the people of Central City.

"So, let me talk to Lyla. We could take Burns by force," Diggle said.

It wasn't often that Diggle liked to use that often. It had been three years, though. Three years without anything more than the brief bits that Oliver saw of the future, or so Burns told him. They really didn't know enough about Grant Burns as far as Diggle was concerned. For all they knew, Burns just made up the future stuff that Oliver had seen and was holding onto. This was one of those times where he was more than okay with Lyla ordering ARGUS soldiers into Wells' labs and taking Burns by force.

For a moment, Diggle swore that Oliver was pondering letting ARGUS go in and make it happen. It was only a moment, though. Oliver shook his head. "Let me go to Central City…at least one more time… Maybe if I push myself… Maybe I can get some kind of useful information from him now. Something more than what I've seen. A building. Something about the location she's in…"

"Hell, even a street sign would be more than we've had in the past," Diggle told him. He knew that he couldn't push. If this didn't work, if Oliver got nothing, then they'd go to his plan whether Oliver wanted to or not. Felicity was his friend, too. Plus, Diggle had witness what her loss did to Oliver enough. One way or another, Oliver needed some closure.

. . .

"Johnny, he's cracking."

"We're all a little broken—"

"You are NOT broken," Lyla argued as she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Diggle shook his head. He WANTED to believe that. The truth was that Felicity was more than a friend, she was family. Felicity was someone who had brought light to everyone's lives, without her…darkness crept in. He had thought that Lyla and Felicity were friends, that she thought of Felicity in the same way. "I get why Oliver is the way he is, Lyla… If I didn't have you and Sara, I'd probably be in the same state."

"You know that's not true."

"But it IS."

Lyla squeezed him. "She's been gone for three years. It's time you and Oliver came to terms with it. You know the statistics."

"Felicity ISN'T a statistic, Lyla—"

"But she likely IS dead." Lyla moved away from him with a sigh. "I know you're hoping to just find her alive somewhere, but we both know that it would have to be a miracle."

"Miracles DO happen."

"Not in reality."

Felicity was out there.

Alive.

She had to be.

John told him that this was the last night that he was allowed to hope. After that, it was back to reality. He really wasn't sure if he could handle reality. He wasn't one to normally ask for such things, like miracles, but this time…he wanted it so badly.

Felicity Smoak.

That was his wish.

His prayer.

His desperate plea.

. . .

TBC…


	2. Lyla: Access Denied

_"__There are two kinds of secrets. Those we hide from others and those we hide from ourselves."_

. . .

The fact that John was so adamant about finding Felicity Smoak and/or for once and for all know what happened to her. The thing happened to her. The thing was, John and Oliver both needed closure. She got that, she did. It was just that after three years she had expected them to accept the fact that Felicity was gone.

That hadn't happened.

Even though Lyla was in charge of the local ARGUS office, sometimes having a primarily desk job had its perks, but she still reported to Amanda Waller. Waller would see her search for Felicity Smoak. She'd know that she was doing it because of John and Oliver. She wasn't worried, though, Waller had had Team Arrow doing so much more for ARGUS in the previous three years than any of the prior years. She doubted that she'd mind. Plus, Lyla wasn't prepared to find anything. So, she sighed and typed in Felicity's name into the system.

Nothing.

Nobody in the world had anything on Felicity Smoak for three years. The last entries that came up were three years old and from Starling City's Police Department in their missing person's case on her. Lyla thought about going to Waller and explaining the situation. To give them closure, even if it had to be manufactured closure. John and Oliver needed sometime in that department.

She hated owing favors.

Especially to Waller.

Amanda Waller was the last person you wanted to owe a favor to.

ARGUS was dangerous.

Waller was deadly.

Her fingers tapped against the desk as she thought of some other way to search the system. Next, she typed in The Arrow. The normal stuff that she would expect came up. A lot of it had to do with ARGUS missions that Team Arrow had assisted on. None of it had to do with Felicity Smoak, not for those three years.

It wasn't like she hadn't looked through the ARGUS database before for Felicity or something related to her. It was the first thing she'd done when Felicity had originally gone missing. Even with their network of satellites and all of their operatives, no one had any information that led them in the direction of finding the Arrow's IT girl. The thing was, Lyla liked Felicity, she just wasn't as affected as John and Oliver. She wanted closure and some answers, but she wasn't going to let it rule her life.

Oliver Queen.

Lyla started to type in Oliver Queen, expecting to get the same matches that she'd gotten for The Arrow. Though, Oliver Queen's search yielded far more information than she'd originally expected. She expected to get the same results, but here she was with information that spanned back to the time that Oliver had been missing. There was also information on Robert and Moira Queen.

The Queen's Gambit.

Lyla stared at the file title. She knew that name. For a moment, she just thought about it. Everyone in the world knew about Oliver Queen and his mysterious five years away after his father's ship had gone down. The ship… The boat… It had been called The Queen's Gambit. The only problem was that the file she was currently staring at had an originating date as of around the time Felicity had disappeared.

Curious, she clicked on the file.

What came up was not what she expected. Instead of it merely being a file that contained information on The Queen's Gambit (the boat), Robert Queen, or Oliver Queen…an ACCESS DENIED screen flashed up. Lyla frowned and tapped at the keys. Her access level was not high enough. The name on the file told her everything, though. The file was protected by Amanda Waller. If she wanted answers, that was who she needed to go to.

Did this file have information, though?

Information that she could use?

Bringing this file up with Amanda was about the last thing that Lyla wanted to do, but at the same time…she was fairly sure that all files that Amanda had locked like this were tagged to alert her if anyone attempted to open it. The way she started to see it, she really had no choice in it. This was it. Not only would Waller be able to answer questions regarding that file, but maybe she'd assist her in closing the case of Felicity Smoak.

Or at least she hoped so.

. . .

"Agents Michaels…"

"There's a file—"

"The Queen's Gambit?"

"My access code isn't high enough to access the information within it."

"And you want to know the contents of the file?" Waller questioned.

"I want to know if any of the contents lead to Felicity Smoak."

Waller smiled. "Careful… You may not want to go down that path… Consider your request carefully… It's certainly not something that you can un-see."

. . .

TBC…


	3. Waller: Access Granted

_"__Life is a game board. Time is your opponent. If you procrastinate, you will lose the game. You must make a move to be victorious." ~ Napoleon Hill _

. . .

Amanda Waller stared at Lyla Michaels as she pondered her response. The world was Waller's chessboard and she was a very serious person when it came to her precise moves and her secrets. Killing one person and making it look like it was gang related could bring her the attention and loyalty of a solider that she needed to complete missions in a part of the world while in other areas, knowing everything she could about everyone in the world could help her bend the will of someone else to be in her employ.

"Oliver Queen and my husband…they need closure when it comes to Felicity Smoak," Lyla answered after some time of silence. Her voice was even and filled full of emotions.

Lyla's marriage, or rather, remarriage to John Diggle had not been a highlight for Amanda. She preferred for her agents to remain single. She didn't care who they had dalliances with, but she required their absolute loyalty and commanded the bulk of their time and energies. They didn't need to be distracted in the field. It was why she'd offered Lyla the position she'd offered her. A child first and then marriage. Michaels was a good agent and Waller didn't want to loose her, so she'd changed Lyla's position within ARGUS.

"Are you absolutely sure about that?"

"Yes."

"What if the information could threaten your relationship with Mr. Diggle?" Waller questioned.

She watched as Lyla's face changed as she seemed to be considering it. "I don't know anything about Felicity. Are you saying that ARGUS—"

Waller wondered if she was putting together the pieces. Lyla Michaels had been a part of ARGUS for so long. She should not be surprised by what she would find in the file she was requesting access to. "I will say this. I can guarantee you, that if you share the information in that file that everything will change."

"Change?"

"For you. For them. For ARGUS. Everything."

Amanda Waller was sure that normal people would feel like she was being extremely dramatic, but she wasn't. The future of so much depended on Michaels' decision. Waller had been a part of ARGUS for so long. She had secrets within secrets within more secrets. People the world over feared her… They feared her so much that the click of her high heels brought about panic attacks in some places.

She was also very familiar with Oliver Queen. She'd rescued him from the North China Sea and brought him into the fold in Hong Kong. Of course, at the time, he really hadn't appreciated what she had offered him. She was fairly sure that if he really looked back at it, he'd understand that she'd given him life…a career…and a way of survival. Waller knew that Queen wouldn't be the man that he was now if it hadn't been for her. If she hadn't pushed him and trained him the way that she had.

The Arrow.

What he was now. That had been his destiny all those years ago. She'd seen it, even when he was a long haired, spoiled, stubborn, rich boy lost at sea in the middle of hell. Waller knew that they weren't friends, but she didn't need friends. What she needed was assets. Oliver Queen…The Arrow…they were assets to her. She really didn't want to let them go. Lyla Michaels, she had thought, understood how their world worked. How the need of assets worked. She was apparently wrong.

Plans would have to be reworked.

The world that she commanded, it was all a giant chessboard to her. The pawns that she moved into place. Amanda knew now that she was going to have to rethink her strategy and her positionings. It could be done, but it was an imposition. Waller hated to have to rework her plans. It made things…messy. She hated dealing with messy. That was why she had ARGUS…and the people within it that she commanded.

Amanda moved to the computer console and typed in her access code.

ACCESS GRANTED.

Waller took a step back, but could see the screen from where she stood as information and photos popped up and filled the screen. Her arms crossed over her chest as she turned her attention to Lyla's face. It was obvious that this was not what Agent Michaels was expecting.

The Queen's Gambit file had nothing to do with the boat that had gone down in the North China Sea nearly a decade before. It was the code name for an ARGUS operation. The building that it took place in popped up along with two photos.

"ARGUS took Felicity?" Lyla asked a moment later. Her eyes moved from the screen and then to Waller. "Why? She wasn't a threat."

"Felicity Smoak became a threat the moment that Oliver Queen met her," Waller informed her. "She changes the man that he is. It was one thing when it was just your Mr. Diggle, but it became something entirely different when Smoak joined their group. She took the man that I had trained to kill…to do anything for the justice that he sought…and she turned him into someone who left justice in the hands of people." Waller shook her head. "The people out there in the world, the soft ones…like Smoak…they don't understand what it takes to survive in this world… They don't understand the sacrifices…the deaths…all over the world that are made everyday in order to keep the world turning."

"Oliver makes his own decisions—"

"We both know that's not entirely true."

"So…you took her away and hoped that he'd kill people again?"

"No," Waller responded simply. She waited a moment, hoping that Lyla would really consider her words. "I took her away from him because they were getting too close."

"Because they were romantically involved?"

"Exactly."

Lyla just stared at her for a long moment. Waller felt like she could see the wheels turning in her agent's head. "You didn't do anything when John and I got serious…"

"If it was required, I had plans in place," she admitted with no shame. Waller had plans for everything. They weren't just limited to Oliver Queen and Lyla Michaels. Amanda was sure that if someone were to publish all of the 'what if' plans that she had ready to fall into place for various events and reasons that their heads would spin. They would never look at the world the same way.

Lyla just continued to stare.

"Now you know."

"Why didn't you just kill her?"

Waller shrugged. "Even though she wasn't useful in the position within Queen's team, she could possibly be of use to me in the future…"

"With ARGUS?"

"Or with Queen."

"You've kept her…everything…from him…how would he TRUST you?"

She smiled. "I have my ways, Agent Michaels…"

And she did.

Waller truly had plans for everything. She was a unique breed of people when it came to plans and manipulation. "Like I said, now it's up to you. Are you going to keep my secret or are you going to tell Mr. Diggle and Mr. Queen?"

"Are you going to try to stop me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because your actions will merely be a drop in the ocean as far as I'm concerned," Waller told her simply. "I can adjust my plans to whatever you decide. Now, though, it's up to you…" With that, Waller left…and she let Lyla decide on what she was going to do. Amanda was fairly sure that she knew the outcome of what was about to happen.

Lyla would tell them.

There was no doubt in her mind.

John Diggle had corrupted her agent.

Waller could still adjust for that. Right now, she knew exactly where Oliver Queen and John Diggle were. If Lyla was going to tell them, she didn't think it was going to be right away. Right now, she had time for Lyla to reassess her feelings on it. Now, it was time to look towards Central City and what was happening in STAR Labs.

. . .

TBC…


	4. Barry: Hope in Central City

_**Author's Note:**__ Sorry that updates have taken so long! There was a browser issue and I couldn't get any help! I had to sort of figure it out on my own!_

* * *

_Hope is the little voice you hear whisper "maybe" when it seems the entire world is shouting "no!" _

* * *

"It's been a while."

"I really haven't had anything to say—"

"I don't blame you—"

"You should," Oliver snapped.

Barry sighed. The only time Oliver Queen came to Central City was when he wanted to have a 'chat' with Burns. He understood all too well that something inside of Oliver had broken. He had been affected by the loss of Felicity, there was just something so wonderfully beautiful and inspiring about her…and without Felicity. It was like the world was in a darker place. He'd had Caitlin, though, all of them had been mourning her loss.

One thing he knew for those three years was that no matter what anyone did, found out, or said…Oliver was always going going to blame himself for Felicity. It didn't matter the circumstance. Felicity, everyone knew, was the one woman who Oliver Queen loved.

Truly loved.

"Are you here to talk to Grant again?" Barry questioned.

Grant Burns was a Metahuman that they kept locked up, in their containment prison that had once been their particle accelerator. Burns wasn't violent, but he caused trouble. Too much trouble. He was a Metahuman who could be thought of in a way as a trickster. He could take someone's hand, gain access to their mind, and show their glimpses of the future. And they truly were glimpses. They were often insignificant moments that made no sense and then the moment would happen…and it would be connected to something so much bigger. Burns had been making money off of his talent and then for some…he'd just creep them out… He wasn't someone who could be controlled with the general public, so they kept him locked up.

"One last time," Oliver confirmed.

"And then?"

The thing was, Burns' visions really were obscure. They never showed the bigger picture. Before they locked Burns up the last time Oliver had come for one of his visits, Burns had caught Barry's arm just long enough to hit him with a vision. All it was was a black and silver polished pen being dropped and hitting the floor, bouncing, and then the clattering of it that haunted him long after the vision had ended. Two months passed before the event actually happened. Caitlin had dropped her pen, when she'd moved to retrieve it she had knocked her coffee, which had fallen over and fallen over the electronics console she had been working at. If Barry hadn't been there to pull her out of the way, Doctor Wells and Caitlin were certain that she would have been badly injured if not dead.

Barry knew the bits that Oliver had seen and heard. Doctor Wells and Caitlin had insisted that they document everything. There were to be no secrets kept.

Everything that Oliver had seen in the past, it had been nothing. Just like all of Burns' visions. Without context, Oliver had NO idea what it meant in way of Felicity's location or Felicity's circumstances. All it brought him was hope that she was still alive. Even then, it was possible that it had absolutely no connection to Felicity.

That Oliver was just getting his hopes up.

Barry got his hopes up, too.

He couldn't help it.

It was Felicity.

No matter how happy and in love he was with Caitlin, Felicity always held a special place in his heart. "Oliver?"

"If he doesn't give me the information I need, then ARGUS is going to come in here and take him and torture him…do whatever it takes…until we get the information that we need," Oliver told him bluntly.

Barry just stared at Oliver for a moment. "Felicity wouldn't want that."

"I know."

"You'd be doing it in HER name, Oliver."

"That's why he needs to give me what I need."

"But you know that's not how it works…"

"It needs to."

"Oliver, I want her to be alive as much as you do—"

Before Barry could even blink, mainly because he hadn't been expecting it, Oliver was slamming him against the nearest wall. "I know that you THINK you want her alive as much as I do, but I can assure you. That's not the case," Oliver said through gritted teeth. His hold loosened. "I just…" It was like he was realizing he was doing the wrong thing and back away from Barry as his voice normalized. "I just don't know how to keep doing the Arrow…or living…without Felicity."

"We're going to find her."

He hoped they would.

* * *

TBC…


	5. Cisco: The Flash clashes with the Arrow

_"Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything."_

* * *

Things were fairly quiet at STAR Labs. Lately, it was a trend. One that Cisco wasn't fond of. He was certain that if he voiced that opinion that others, mainly Caitlin and Barry, would frown upon him. Cisco couldn't help it, though. Barry was good at what he did, they all were, but once you either had the criminals locked up or scared off…then all they had were the Metahumans. So far, there wasn't one who had emerged for well over a month. They didn't even know how many were out there, so for all he knew…there were no more. Which meant that he was going to be bored. There was only so much designing of awesome things he could do every day.

Bored.

Cisco hated to be bored. Of course, if Doctor Wells came by, then he'd pretend to be doing something. Whenever Wells noticed that he was bored and doing nothing, he'd always find Cisco something to do that he didn't want to actually do. Something tedious. Something menial. Cisco didn't do tedious or menial.

The green in his peripheral was what caught his attention first, when Cisco saw that Oliver was there, he was thrilled. Of course, Oliver had come in regular clothes…but the green plaid had been enough to tip him that it wasn't Barry or Caitlin. It was like it was suddenly Christmas. "Oliver! It's been a while! What brings you to Central City?"

Barry was with Oliver and neither of them looked too happy. Typical. The only time he ever saw Barry smile anymore was when Caitlin was around. Cisco had a theory that it was because of what they did weighed too heavily upon Barry. Too many Metahumans and innocents had died over the years. Even if they couldn't do anything differently, they had all changed since this all started. Nothing had been the same within any of them since the particle accelerator.

"Burns," Oliver replied simply after a minute of silence.

His smile fell and Cisco groaned. "Seriously, why can't you guys just come together and work on things together? I'm even okay with traveling… We could totally work in Starling City one week and then in Central City the next… I mean, if I could figure out how to make a transporter then we wouldn't have to worry about all of the travel time—"

"Cisco," Oliver and Barry said together.

He snapped out of his rambling. "Seriously, Team Arrow and Team Flash should totally team up!"

Oliver smiled for a moment, it was almost a sad smile. Cisco couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Oliver smile. "You sound like Felicity…" It was a sad statement more than anything else.

Felicity had been missing or dead or…well, they really didn't know, for three years now. Burns had been their only link to anything about her. So far, Cisco still felt like they knew nothing. They really couldn't even trust Burns. For all they knew, Burns was just feeding Oliver and his wants in order to guarantee that he was kept alive. He knew that Caitlin had been serious about logging what Oliver had seen over the years and Doctor Wells thought it was important, too, but people didn't just disappear…

Cisco started to respond, "We all miss her, but—"

"Caitlin and Doctor Wells aren't here," Barry spoke up. "You're going to have to wait until they get back."

And they did.

Every single one of them missed Felicity.

Not a week went by that someone didn't mention her. Sometimes on a daily basis, she received mention. He knew that especially Caitlin and Barry missed her, but Cisco missed her too. Felicity might not have been to Central City that much or worked with Team Flash that often, but it felt like she was just as much a part of their team as she'd been a part of Team Arrow. They were all affected, they just all coped with loss differently.

Even though Cisco was very fond of Felicity, he knew that he couldn't let her 'loss' get to him. He'd accepted that she was gone. It was the only way that he knew how to move on and for things to be back to normal. Cisco couldn't live in a world where he felt constantly depressed and to dwell on the sadness…he just couldn't… He wasn't a sad kind of person. That was why he couldn't be like Caitlin or Barry or Oliver… It just wasn't in his nature. Smiling, being happy, and joking was one hundred percent who he was. He needed that or else he just couldn't function properly. He didn't know how the others could cling to Felicity after three years of having absolutely nothing to go on, but that was their choice.

Happiness.

That was his.

And if Felicity was out there, then they'd find her. But Cisco had to focus on where they were now and have patience with how the world was. They'd been through too much since everything happened. It was all he could do keep going.

"They should be back any minute," Cisco told Oliver. "They were picking up coffee or lunch…or both…I think…"

Oliver just looked unconvinced. "There's a time constraint."

"I'll go ping their phones," Cisco volunteered.

"Or…you could just call Caitlin," Barry suggested. "That sounds like that would be a quicker way to get the information we need."

Of course, it wasn't as fun in Cisco's opinion. Of course, if he was making a phone call, he was definitely going to call Caitlin. No matter how many years they did this…Team Flash…or working with Doctor Wells, Cisco had never felt comfortable with Doctor Wells. There was something about the guy. He was brilliant, Cisco knew that, and he had vision…but there was something else about him. Something that made Cisco a bit terrified of his boss in the wheelchair.

"Right," Cisco finally said. "I'll call Caitlin."

He turned away from Oliver and Barry as they started to argue about waiting to make the call, but kept looking over his shoulder. If the two of them were going to get into it, Cisco wanted to watch. The phone rang a couple of times before Caitlin finally picked up. She sounded annoyed, but Cisco figured that that was because he was interrupting.

"So…Oliver's here…and wants to see Burns…yep…yeah…Barry said you had to be here…and you're not…and he's impatient, so I'm calling and hoping that you can come back right now," Cisco rambled on. "Yeah. Okay…" He turned to look towards Oliver and Barry, finding them arguing over waiting…again. "You might wanting to hurry."

* * *

TBC…


	6. Burns: New Clues

_"People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for." - To Kill A Mockingbird_

* * *

Growing up, Grant Burns had never been much interested in life. He'd always found things boring. It wasn't until he'd been changed by the particle accelerator that really felt like he'd found his calling. It wasn't only by accident that he'd figured out his ability. From that point on, he'd used it to his advantage in one way or another. Now locked up in STAR Labs, Grant was subjected to tests and occasional 'readings'.

At least he had moments of amusement…

When the cover to his cell door rolled open, Grant knew that today was going to be one of those days. Meals and everything else were routine and his internal clock knew that this was an unusual event. Grant got to his feet and waited to see who was coming for a visit. He knew them all. Some were easier to mess with than others, which only made it a better time. He'd even nearly escaped once…but Barry Allen hadn't let that happen.

"Doctor Snow! Can I call you Caitlin yet?" Grant's voice practically boomed with excitement.

But Caitlin wasn't alone, Doctor Wells was there with her…and then Allen and Queen were not far behind them. Caitlin was an easy target, but so was Allen… Wells and Queen were not so easy, even though Grant knew exactly who to get to Queen. There was just one person in that world that Oliver Queen longed for… Even if it was just a clue.

Felicity Smoak.

For years, they'd been doing this dance. Oliver Queen would come and want to have a 'reading' and would get glimpses of something about his beloved and apparently that would be enough to keep him hoping until the next time he showed up in Central City. It was pathetic really. Since Grant could see everything that Oliver could, there was no use in him hiding that he was the Arrow. In all honesty, Grant didn't understand how Barry or Oliver could be these great heroes with how easily they could be affected by people in their lives.

"Really? Again?" Grant practically complained, his attention at Queen.

"Last time," Oliver spoke up.

"Really?" Grant chuckled. "One last time and then you'll just give up on your search for this woman that you love?"

His comments seemed to anger Queen, but Grant really didn't care. They were all pathetic. They needed him, so Grant didn't feel like he was in any danger. Plus, Caitlin liked to investigate the abilities of all of the metahumans in that prison far too much.

"Yes," he said as he moved closer to Doctors Snow and Wells. "And if I get nothing more…nothing substantial…then we'll take different steps."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Grant questioned. Queen's statement had seemed sort of ominous. Grant didn't like it. Oliver Queen always seemed…content to know where he was. Why had that changed? Was he just at his wits end waiting and looking for Felicity Smoak? Could he not stand it anymore? Was he crumbling? He knew all of those questions would be answered the moment that they started the 'reading'.

"Apparently, I'll be forced to hand you over to ARGUS…and they have…well," Wells spoke up. "Let's just say that their accommodations, staff, and treatment are far different than what you've become accustom to…"

Grant really didn't like the sound of that.

"I can't control WHAT Queen sees," Grant reminded them.

"We actually don't concretely KNOW that," Caitlin voiced.

She was right.

But she was wrong, too.

His ability seemed to change the more he used it. Maybe it was the control over the pace or the recall of the vision. Whatever it was, one thing Grant knew for sure…he couldn't control it like they wanted. If he'd been able to do that, to show them where Felicity Smoak was…he would have used that as leverage a long time ago. He actually didn't mind his accommodations, but he really didn't want to be moved to this…ARGUS place…

"We actually do," Grant said as he took a step out of his prison. He tapped the side of his head as he walked towards the waiting group, and then he hands raised slightly up in mock surrender. "Because I'm telling you. I can't control it like that…"

"Maybe not yet," Wells said.

Maybe never.

* * *

"Felicity?" Oliver's voice echoed through their minds.

This was always the first thing that happened. Burns thought of it as Queen's way of making sure that she was still alive, his slight panic was their minds were both black for a long moment before the color slowly filled in and formed shapes. Black remaining meant that the person was dead, or at least that had been Grant's experience.

His mind lit up with color and the scene slowly formed. It was probably the most concrete reading that he'd ever had with Oliver Queen. Maybe it was because he was the one person that he'd read the most. Grant couldn't be sure, so he just watched as it formed. Wherever Felicity Smoak was, it didn't seem like a place that saw much light…at least not sunlight. It was a room. That much could be told from the vision. Bits of furniture could be seen. The edge of a neatly made bed, chairs, a table. It was like the scene was still coming into focus. Under the table, there was a huddled figure who was curled up. The mixed sounds of screaming and crying filled ears. Grant could feel Oliver's anxiety build, but the vision ended abruptly as a symbol came into sight.

* * *

"There has to be more!" Oliver yelled.

Grant had a feeling that Oliver Queen's need for answers only made him want more. This vision had given him the best glimpse of Felicity Smoak in three years. For Oliver Queen, that didn't seem enough. Unfortunately, it was all Grant could give. Now, though, he was a little worried as to where that would leave him.

Just because he preferred the prison he stayed in currently over what he could imagine would wait for him if he was turned over, Grant hoped that what Queen saw would be enough. He hoped that once he had time to truly process things that he would see things…that Queen would have the clues that would led him to this woman he'd been pining over all these years.

For his sake.

* * *

TBC…


	7. Caitlin: Puzzle Pieces

_"It takes the same amount of energy to worry as it does to believe." ~ Joel Osteen_

* * *

Three years.

She'd been keeping track of the visions or readings or whatever they wanted to call them, that Oliver Queen and Grant Burns had been having since Felicity had gone missing. Caitlin Snow had experienced loss in her life, all kinds of loss and experienced all levels of grief…but this just seemed harder. Maybe it was because no one wanted to really think she was dead. No body had ever been found, but they all knew that that didn't ensure Felicity's life. More than anything, it likely meant that someone was hiding something from them and they were doing a good job.

"Hey."

Caitlin looked up from her computer and then turned to her right to see Barry standing there. He always brought an instant smile to her face. No matter how dark the day, he was always there to make her feel like it was all going to be okay and to make her smile again. Even after Ronnie…even after everything…Barry had always been there and one day things had just changed. She saw him differently…and since then, neither one of them had ever looked back. They were lucky to have each other and that was that.

"Hey," she echoed and pushed forward a smile.

"Oliver just left," Barry filled in. "He seemed pretty shaken."

"From everything that he's seen over the years…the faint hints here and there…and then all of the sudden this…" Caitlin said as she turned back to her notes. "I'm honestly not surprised." She scrolled up to the notes from the first session. "The first time they tried this…the vision was dark for a long time, but there was crying."

"Right," Barry said. "And then right at the end, there was a thin beam of light."

"This time, Oliver actually thinks that they saw Felicity…and if it is…if she's out there, then I think it's far to say that she's in trouble."

Barry sighed and rubbed his face. "We know how Grant's visions work. Not once has one of what has been seen…no matter how insignificant led to a happy moment…"

"I know," Caitlin said as her face dropped.

Felicity.

And she did understand that.

Caitlin was a doctor and all her life, she'd relied on science to prove everything that she needed to know in life. Everything that was real and tangible and needed to be explained, that could be done through science. At least, until the particle accelerator incident. Since then, even though science could explain a lot, there was only so much you would actually believe without seeing it for yourself.

Barry Allen.

Clyde Mardon.

Danton Black.

Kyle Nimbus.

Bette Sans Souci.

Tony Woodward.

Farooq Gibran.

Roy Bivolo.

Ronnie Raymond.

Arthur Light.

Hartley Rathaway.

There were so many others that weren't affected by the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator's explosion, those that were evil and bad and had to be stopped. It sometimes felt like they were losing a war, but everyday Caitlin found a new reason to keep going…it normally started with her opening her eyes and finding Barry smiling back at her.

"Felicity's strong, though," Caitlin spoke up several minutes later. "If she is still out there, then she's going to keep it that way… Think of all the visions that Grant has had of her, she's still alive after all of this time…"

Felicity was a fighter.

They all had to remember and believe that.

"Is there anything more that we can do tonight?" Barry questioned.

Caitlin stared at him and really thought about his question. Was there? Anything productive? She knew that that was what he meant. It was one thing to sit there and go over the information that they had over and over again, to worry that she'd missed something… But could she really do anything that could possibly bring Felicity home tonight? Her words were a whisper as she reached out to turn off the computer monitor, "No." Caitlin's tone was sad and she felt a little defeated. She knew that there were so many people working on this…but whenever they got a new clue, emotions were spilled out all over again.

"Then let's go home," he whispered as his hand rested on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

Reaching up, Caitlin covered his hand with hers. She let out a breath before patting it for a moment and then finally getting up from her chair. "Let's go home," she echoed as she took his hand and they headed out. There was nothing more they could do there tonight, even if that was hard for either one of them to admit.

* * *

Darkness and the sound of breathing.

A grey room.

Felicity in darkness crying…and then a ray of light.

The feeling of being cold.

A cream colored wall with peeling paint.

The rain falling from the sky above.

A computer keyboard and Felicity's fingers running quickly across them.

Beeping and the sound of drums.

Someone curled up in a thick layer of blankets, the sound of rain beating down.

Bright lights and screams.

A book falling to the ground.

The cream colored wall and the feeling of being cold and yet warm at the same time.

A grey room.

All white and the sound of laughter.

A figure, apparently Felicity, huddled under a table as yelling and screams are heard and a triangular looking logo.

Every single clue that they had. Everything told them Felicity was alive. But it didn't tell them much more. Caitlin just kept staring at her screen. There should be SOMETHING that she should be able to take from the clues. All she could take was that there had to be two rooms that Felicity was in…possibly three. One was cream colored and one was grey. The only other thing was that if Grant Burns wasn't messing with them…then all of that meant Felicity Smoak was alive.

She was out there.

She was alive.

That was the most important thing.

"How's it going?"

Caitlin turned and frowned at Cisco. "Not any better than it was when she first went missing."

"I told Oliver if he can sketch out that logo, maybe I can run it through the database. I mean, a triangle isn't exactly helpful," Cisco told her.

She understood that. A triangle was about as good as any of the clues that she had. Caitlin knew that all of this was extremely frustrating. "But he's recalled things more clearly days later…"

"If he doesn't just disappear off the grid altogether."

Oliver had done that before too.

"Well, we can't exactly control his actions," Caitlin told Cisco as she turned back to her computer screen. "All we can do is hope that he doesn't make reckless decisions."

"You sound like a mom," Cisco half teased.

Caitlin rolled her eyes and then looked back at him over her shoulder. "Sometimes you guys make me feel like one." Cisco seemed half amused at that as he walked off. Caitlin sighed and covered her face as she turned in her chair for a moment. It was something that she'd seen Felicity do and now sometimes she found herself doing little things she'd watched her friend do. Maybe it was unconscious or maybe it was her little way of remembering her.

Come home, Felicity.

* * *

TBC…


	8. Wells: Determination

_"The end of surprise would be the end of science. To this extent, the scientist must constantly seek and hope for surprise." ~ Robert Fridel_

* * *

He'd checked with Gideon and he still wasn't pleased. The Flash was on track as far as the future was concerned, but it wasn't just The Flash that he looked for. There were other key players that needed to be alive. Harrison Wells was in this for the long haul. There were people, assets, that he needed to be in place in the past, present, and the future and right now…Felicity wasn't coming up on Gideon's radar. She'd been missing for three years and right now they knew she was still alive. He just hoped that they could find a tangible clue soon.

"Doctor Wells?"

"Ah, Caitlin," Wells said as he turned his chair around to face her. A smile on his face. "What can I do to assist you?"

Doctor Caitlin Snow was a part of his plan as much as Barry Allen and Cisco Ramon were. They all played their parts. Some were long term players and some…well, he didn't care if they made it past the end of the year or not. There were others that he kept tabs on, as well, other people that he used to his advantage. They were all pawns in his chess game of life.

"I just was hoping that you could look at the notes that I have… I keep going over them, hoping that there's something that's going to lead us closer to Felicity, but—"

He could tell that Caitlin was worried and upset. She and Felicity had become friends and Wells knew that locating Felicity was becoming a priority. It was something that he very much approved of. "You know that I'll do anything that I can to help."

She seemed suddenly relieved. "I couldn't sleep last night… I kept thinking about her and all the worst case scenarios of what could have happened over these last three years to her."

"She's strong," Wells told Caitlin. "Felicity will be found. She's going to be okay. We WILL find her. Together. All of us."

Caitlin nodded. "You're right," she whispered. "I just feel like we missed something…or somehow…we could have figured something out earlier…to help, I mean."

"No one blames you, Caitlin."

"I know, it's just—"

"You feel helpless in this situation."

Caitlin nodded again. "I just… I need to do something."

For all he knew, the pieces that they'd been collecting. Everything that they knew about the visions, maybe he and Caitlin could somehow connect something. Maybe they would be able to bring Felicity home in time for dinner. Anything was possible. "Let's get to work then."

* * *

Harrison Wells looked over from what he'd been working on to find Caitlin Snow completely passed out at the keyboard of her computer. Sighing, he moved away from her as quietly as possible. They obviously weren't getting anywhere. He had fed the notes to Gideon in the past, but he hadn't put in all three years' worth. Maybe it was time to give it a try. Felicity Smoak had to be found.

"Mr. Allen, your wife is asleep… I think it's about time you take her home," Wells announced as he wheeled up to where Barry was talking with Cisco.

"Still nothing new?" Barry questioned.

"I'm afraid not."

"It's not like we're the only ones looking into this," Cisco spoke up. "Felicity has Team Arrow AND Team Flash looking into this plus ARGUS AND Ray Palmer. Palmer even put out that sweet reward for ANYTHING that could lead us to her…and we still got nothing. That's a lot of smart people, money, and technology…and three years later…we've come up with nothing."

"You sound like you've given up, Mr. Ramon."

Cisco was quiet at first. "Hey, I love Felicity… She's great. I just… I guess I just get tired of seeing you all so down when we come up with nothing. Caitlin takes everything so hard… It just sucks whenever we all get our hopes up only to come up with nothing."

"Things are going to change this time," Harrison said before turning his wheelchair around and heading away and towards his secret room. He needed to talk to Gideon. Cisco was right, right, thinking about how many resources that had been tasked to look for Felicity…they should have found her right away.

Bigger powers were at play here.

Felicity was important to the future.

They were going to find her.

He was going to ensure it.

Even if that meant using the Speed Force to find her.

* * *

TBC…


	9. Ray: Honesty

_"When we tackle obstacles, we find hidden reserves of courage and resilience we did not know we had. And it is only when we are faced with failure do we realise that these resources were always there within us. We only need to find them and move on with our lives."_  
_~ A. P. J. Abdul Kalam_

* * *

"Still nothing?"

"Can we be honest?"

"We haven't been honest?"

"No," Oliver admitted. "I've been taking advantage of you."

"Funny. I don't feel like you've taken advantage of me."

"I'm the Arrow."

Ray just stared at Oliver for a long time. He'd been doing everything he could in order to help find Felicity Smoak. Besides thinking of Felicity as a friend, he'd found that it was next to impossible for him to run the company anywhere near as smoothly as it had when Felicity was working as his VP. There was also the plain and true fact that Felicity was just smarter than he was when it came to a lot of practical tech things. He'd find himself stop and think about how he'd worked for two months on something and Felicity likely would have figured it out in two minutes.

She was irreplaceable.

In so many ways.

"Uh—okay…" Ray blurted out. He wasn't sure what else to say. He'd thought that he knew Oliver Queen, that he'd learned all about the man since Felicity's disappearance. Obviously he was wrong. There were still secrets, big ones, in fact. Ray supposed that it had to be hard to trust people with that kind of secret. Actually, he really didn't know what to think about it. If he hadn't been working with Oliver for so long in order to bring Felicity home, he was fairly sure that he wouldn't be okay with it (he was fairly sure he was okay with it).

"Felicity was working with me, with my team…that's why we—"

"That's how you got close?"

Oliver nodded.

Things suddenly made sense. Ray started to wonder how things would have been if Felicity hadn't been taken. Would she have solved his chip problem for ATOM? Maybe he'd be a member of the Arrow's team. Thoughts raced through his head. Would things really have been different? Ray was fairly sure that no matter what, he'd somehow would have ended up lending Oliver the resources he had.

"Well, I guess that makes a lot more sense," Ray said. "Being the Arrow…is that how you're finding clues about Felicity?"

"It's a long story," Oliver told him. "The Flash…in Central City…he's been helping me…he has a team there… There's a person they have in custody who gets flashes of things…"

"What kinds of things?"

"Nothing that's ever been enough," Oliver admitted. "Just enough to pretty much tell me that Felicity is still out there…alive…"

"You've never really given me much," Ray said, realizing that everything that Oliver had given him that had seemed like nothing, that it came from this. It came from this secret that Oliver had kept from him. "You've had me track rain patterns and look for signs of Felicity online…paint colors that have led us nowhere."

"I was grasping at straws—"

Ray nodded, suddenly understanding. "Because they were all that you had."

There was no way that Ray could fault Oliver, not for this. His motives had been true and all he wanted was to bring Felicity home. That was it. That was what they all wanted, every single person that was pushing to find her. It didn't matter how much time had passed, their objective was still the same.

"Darkness and the sound of breathing. A grey room. Felicity crying in darkness…and then light. Her being cold. Peeling cream colored walls. The rain falling. A computer keyboard," Oliver suddenly rambled. "Beeping and drums. Blankets and rain. Bright lights and screams. A book falling. Those damned cream colored walls again and feeling both cold and warm. A grey room. A white void and laughter." Ray saw that Oliver's face changed suddenly as he paused, swallowing thickly. "Felicity huddled under a table…the sound of yelling…screams…and a triangle logo."

"That's why you're worried."

"What if she isn't okay? What if they've hurt her?"

"The logo—"

"I can't really remember much about it," Oliver admitted. "But sometimes things flush out of my head a few days later… I was going to look at logos using triangles… I already have resources compiling a list."

"So, what can I do? How can I help?"

"I'm not sure," Oliver told him honestly. "I just thought that you deserved the truth."

"I appreciate the honesty."

Even though Oliver wasn't giving him anything really to go on. Every clue that Oliver gave him, it was logged into his brain and there was no way that he was going to sit on the sidelines and do nothing. It had been obvious to Ray that Oliver loved Felicity and though he didn't know if they had a relationship past the feelings, but Ray really didn't know how anyone could know Felicity and not fall in love with her.

He'd fallen in love with her. 

* * *

TBC…


	10. Roy: Secrets Revealed

_"I tried to put things in perspective but sometimes you're just too close to it." ~ Cormac Mccarthy_

* * *

"Why do you keep drawing the ARGUS symbol?"

"What?"

Roy pointed to the piece of paper. "Isn't that the ARGUS symbol?"

Oliver was quiet.

"I mean, I haven't studied it," Roy continued. He'd noticed that Oliver had been drawing it ever since his return from Central City. He wasn't the one that Oliver talked about these things with. Diggle usually was the one who knew everything that had happened in Central City and what clues, if any, were unearthed. "I could be wrong. It looks sort of looks like that…unless you're designing some weird arrow."

Making arrows was one thing that he knew that Oliver could do, but he'd never felt like it was the right time to ask him to teach him how to do it. Roy had been doing the best that he could as Arsenal, but sometimes he thought that going to Lian Yu for a couple of weeks and being forced to live there as close to Oliver had as possible would be beneficial for furthering his training and knowledge. There would be no such field trips, though, not with Felicity still missing.

Three years.

It seemed like there should be other words when people went missing for longer than like a week. When it got to the point that it was past a year…it just seemed like there needed to be a sadder word. Missing seemed to imply that Felicity could walk through the door at any moment saying that she'd missed her train or gotten lost in the woods. That wasn't the case, though. Felicity had been taken. That was quite clear.

"I think…you're…right," Oliver said slowly as he dropped the pen.

"You didn't realize it?"

He watched as Oliver ran his hands roughly over his face. Roy had seen this before. Oliver hadn't slept since Central City. There came a point when he got like this when Diggle just needed to sedate him, so that he could sleep and then think clearly. Of course, Oliver was always extra grumpy (though, well rested) when he finally DID wake up and realize what had happened.

Oliver let out a long sigh before replying. "It was something I saw. It was a symbol. Right before the vision or whatever you want to call them cut out…"

"Maybe if you slept—"

"NO! You don't understand!" he blew up. Oliver got up from his chair and pushed everything off of the table with one swipe of his hand. Luckily, he wasn't sitting near anything that was expensive. Oliver turned until he was toe to toe with Roy, his fists curled, and anger clearly pumping through him. "She's out there! Something happened! I need to find her!"

Roy had become very good at holding his temper. If he hadn't figured out a way to do this, Oliver would have likely beaten him into a pulp by this time. Three years and Oliver was still randomly exploding at him. The thing was, even though Oliver missed Felicity…so did he (and Diggle). He missed how she always made him laugh, someone to tease, and someone who was just one of the best people that he knew.

"Let's just take a minute to figure this out," Roy said as calmly as he could muster. "I didn't know any of this…maybe I can help…if you just sit back in the chair…"

"How could you help?" Oliver spat out.

Roy bent down and retrieved the piece of paper that Oliver had been drawing what looked to Roy like the ARGUS logo on and held it up. "I helped you figure out this, right?"

Immediately, he watched as Oliver's face softened. It was like the truth had hit him and some common sense all at once. "I'm—I'm sorry…Roy, that was out of line and—"

"Hey, it's okay," Roy told him before Oliver could continue. "But why don't you sit back down and maybe take a breath, close your eyes, and tell me what you remember?" He wasn't sure if it would work, but it seemed like a good idea to him. If nothing else, it was forcing Oliver to calm down.

Oliver complied with his request though and Roy sat across from him. He just waited as Oliver calmly drew in breath before pushing it out, his eyes closed. "A room, filled with artificial light…" Oliver finally started, his voice calm and quiet. I can see a table and chairs, simple…old… A bed that's been made. All of it is simple…plain…" His features suddenly crunched up before the next words fell from his mouth. "Felicity is huddled under the table…her back to me…"

"Are you certain it's her?"

This time, Oliver wasn't angry. He was calm and collected and completely confident. "It's her. I don't know how else to explain it. I KNOW it's her. I can FEEL it."

Roy wasn't going to argue with that.

"She's hiding there… She's screaming and there's crying and—" Oliver's sentence suddenly just cut off. He was quiet for a long while.

"And what?" Roy asked quietly when Oliver didn't speak up again.

"I think people were going to pull her from underneath the table," Oliver said, confused. It was obvious that he was trying to remember details. "I think the ARGUS logo was on their jacket…"

"So, ARGUS is involved?"

But before Oliver could answer, someone else did.

"Oh, ARGUS is definitely involved."

Roy turned his head and he was certain that Oliver was looking towards the stairs where Diggle and Lyla were standing. Diggle had been the one to interrupt their little discovery mission. Lyla was there, so he hoped that that meant that they had solid information. He was fairly sure that Lyla tended to stay away from the Foundry for a variety of reasons, likely because the last time she was there was when Oliver was having one of his meltdowns where he was pretty much trying to destroy the entire place (there was a lot of cleaning up afterwards, Roy really hated cleaning).

"ARGUS has had Felicity this entire time?" Oliver asked slowly and Roy was a little surprised that he hadn't exploded again.

It was likely coming.

"Waller's had her at a secret location," Lyla spoke up as she and Diggle moved down the stairs entirely. "She kept it hidden under the name 'The Queen's Gambit'. I've been trying to find the location she's being held at."

Silence.

"She found it," Diggle spoke up.

"Where is she?!" Oliver asked, more rushed than anything else.

Roy thought that there were a lot more questions to ask, like: Why did Waller take her? Why had they just held her for three years? How is it that they are JUST finding this out? How long has Lyla known? Do they know Felicity's okay? Is it smart to just go rushing there? But then, Roy realized, all those questions really meant nothing next to the fact that they were getting Felicity back.

"Are we suiting up?" Roy asked.

"Yes," Oliver told him.

"And I think we should call Lance after what you told me, in case she's hurt," Diggle added.

"We all should keep good thoughts," Lyla said a bit hesitantly. "Let's hope Waller hasn't already moved her."

* * *

TBC…


	11. Oliver: A Step Back

_"Adapt or die. As many times as we've heard it, the lesson doesn't get easier. The problem is we're human. We want more than just to survive. We want love. We want success. We want to be the best that we can be. So, we fight like hell to get those things. Anything else feels like death." ~ Meredith Grey_

* * *

Even though it felt like it took forever, it all happened in a blink of an eye for Oliver. The entire team suited up and headed out. They wanted to make sure that Felicity was actually at the ARGUS location that Lyla had given them and made sure that they cleared the building before calling local law enforcement and emergency services. He'd brought up calling Barry, so he could just take Felicity home instead of having her 'rescued' by unfamiliar police and taken to an unfamiliar hospital. Diggle had pointed out that there would be still time when they got there to choose that plan.

Oliver just wanted to hold her.

He wanted to know that she was okay.

For her to know that she was safe.

"It looks like a house," Roy commented as they came upon the location that Lyla had given them. "Are we sure this is the right place?"

Oliver looked over at Diggle, who was dressed all in black and was the one with the GPS to ensure that they had the right coordinates. They'd parked nearly two miles away and had tucked their vehicle off the side of the road and deep enough into the trees. No one going down the dirt road that led to the house would see it.

"They've had her for THREE years," Diggle reminded. "ARGUS has been using her like a consulting agent, it would make sense for Waller to keep her hidden away. "People are more likely to do what you want them to do, if they don't feel like you've got them captive."

"I think I'd feel like a prisoner anywhere I was kept," Roy commented.

"You're talking about Stockholm Syndrome, aren't you?" Oliver questioned as he came to a halt. He hadn't considered that. This was Felicity they were talking about and Oliver didn't think that she'd just give up and give in.

Three years.

"It's a possibility…or something of that sort," Diggle said. "I just think we should be prepared." He sighed. "We could find a completely different version of Felicity…one we're not prepared for…"

Diggle was right. All Oliver could think of was his sweet, beautiful, intelligent Felicity…the one who knew who he was even when he didn't, who stood up to him when he needed it, and who felt with her whole being. He was certain that that woman, the one that he loved so dearly, wasn't lost. She was so close now, in that house, and tonight…she was going to be free. Oliver was going to take her home.

They moved in closer, taking out the guards at the perimeter first. Systematically, they worked their way towards the front door. The building or house didn't have many windows, likely it had been purposely built for ARGUS (which wouldn't surprise Oliver). As much as Oliver wanted to just rush in there, he knew that they had to go slow. The only thing that was keeping him calm in all of this was the thought that Felicity was at the end of it all.

"You doing okay?"

Oliver turned to look at Diggle. He hadn't realized that he'd froze. It wasn't because he was scared. It hit him, after all this time…was he ready for what was inside of that house? Was he ready for answers? If they were any? Was he ready to face her?

"I'll be okay once we have her home," Oliver finally responded.

He sucked in a deep breath before entering the house. The door wasn't locked, but that didn't seem odd to him with the number of guards that were on duty. Arrows and bullets flew, taking down guards. They split up. Diggle took the left, Roy took the right, and Oliver moved straight ahead.

"Clear!" he heard Diggle say.

"Clear!" Roy echoed a moment later.

More guards hit the floor before Oliver made it to the next set of rooms, he knew from the outside that the room to the left wasn't one that had a window while the one to the right had one. He already knew that Felicity wasn't in the one with the window, so he went left. He tried to enter, only to find that the door wouldn't budge. His eyes moved up to find a rather large deadbolt.

Felicity.

He unbolted it and opened the door as he heard Diggle call his name. The sight of her sitting right inside the door, her back pressed against the wall, her face red from crying as she looked up at him. The only woman that he'd ever truly loved, the one that he'd have given his life for at a moment's notice, she looked so vulnerable right then as her big blue eyes stared up at him.

Oliver couldn't breathe.

"Oliver! You need to see this!" Diggle called again.

He knew that he should answer, but he couldn't. Maybe it was because it had been three years and seeing her again was all that he had ever wanted. Maybe it was because all he could think was that everything was over. He realized suddenly that even though she'd seen him countless times as the Arrow with the hood and the mask that she'd been held captive…that it might be too much. He pulled the mask down and pushed his hood back before crouching down in front of her.

"Are you hurt?"

"They took—" Felicity tried to get out, but a sob escaped her lips instead.

"It's okay, you're safe now," Oliver said calmly, trying not to get emotional. "We're going to take you home."

"I can't—"

"Waller's not going to hurt you, Felicity. I won't let her."

"They TOOK him," she finally got out.

"They took WHO?" Oliver asked.

"Oliver?! Did you find her?!"

He looked over his shoulder to find not only Roy and Diggle standing there, but a small child in Diggle's arms. A little blonde haired boy with big bright eyes. He was crying and immediately held out an arm. "Mama!"

Oliver could hear a shudder in Felicity's breathing before she let out another cry and moved past him. Straightening he turned to watch her take the boy from Diggle. She was holding the child, swaying with him ever so slightly as she ran her fingers through his hair, as if she never thought to see him again. He just stared at them, trying to process. The child wasn't that old, Oliver wasn't sure the correct term for the age range. He was older than a baby…but he didn't look old enough to go to school.

"Mama," the boy cried as he clung to Felicity. "I scared!"

"I know, Sweetie…" Felicity cooed. "Mama's here… They're not going to take you away from me ever again."

"Felicity?" Oliver finally spoke up again. Her eyes looked to him immediately and no words had to be exchanged between them. She already knew his question and he already knew the answer. He was a father. Amanda Waller hadn't only taken the woman that he'd loved and held her captive, forcing her to help ARGUS when Waller wished, but she'd also kept his son from him.

"His name is Tommy," Felicity whispered. "I don't know why they took him. I do everything they want, so I can keep him safe…safe until…until all of you could come—"

"We know we're late," Diggle said.

"So incredibly late," Felicity responded. "Please tell me that we can go home."

"I'm supposed to call the police, so they can come get you."

Panic filled her and Oliver swore that she held the child tighter. If it had just been Felicity and she was unharmed, they'd have her walk back…but he felt like they needed to be checked over. It wasn't just a drive back to Starling City. "We could call Barry, but I think that would be a lot for…for Tommy…"

"I—I'll do anything, just—" Felicity's voice broke and she shook her head. "Please don't make us go somewhere where they'll take him away from me."

"Call Barry," Oliver told Diggle. "And then we'll have Detective West call Captain Lance once Felicity and—and Tommy looked over."

God, he had a son.

Tommy.

Even though he hadn't been there with Felicity, she had named him the most perfect name. Though, Oliver was fairly sure that any name that Felicity chose would have been perfect in his mind. He wanted to embrace her. He wanted to look at his son. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss his son. He wanted to hold both of them. But he held back. It had been three years and she had had to bear so much on her own. He didn't want to scare her.

So, he gave her space.

With every cry, sniffle, shudder, and every other bit of sound or sight that showed him that either Felicity or Tommy were in pain, suffering, or just plain scared…it killed him a little inside. All he wanted to do was to comfort them. To be there for them.

But he couldn't.

* * *

TBC…


	12. Felicity: Time

_"Time stands still_  
_Beauty in all she is_  
_I will be brave_  
_I will not let anything take away_  
_What's standing in front of me_  
_Every breath_  
_Every hour has come to this"_  
_~ "A thousand Years" by Christina Perri_

* * *

"Hey," Caitlin said, trying to get her attention. In Felicity's mind, her friend's voice was distant and barely registered as her eyes and the entirety of her focus was on Tommy. Caitlin had looked him over first, per Felicity's insistence, and had said that he was just fine. They'd had a doctor from ARGUS, but she still worried. It wasn't like she had medical records or any hard copy of what shots, medications, or treatments they'd received while in ARGUS custody. "Hey. Stop worrying about him. He's fine. I checked him over. Medically he's perfect, plus he's with US. You know you're safe, right?"

Safe.

The word got her attention and she looked directly at Caitlin. "None of us is safe," Felicity whispered flatly.

Caitlin looked confused. "You're safe here with us."

Tears fell down her face. "I thought I was safe."

"Felicity—"

"I'll never be safe! Tommy will never be safe! ARGUS is going to come for us! Waller is going to have us on some list!" Felicity started to spiral out of control as her voice raised with each statement. It suddenly felt like everything she'd done over the last three years had been for nothing. They were away from ARGUS, but it didn't feel like they were safe. Could they ever be safe?

"I'll be right back, okay?" Caitlin said as she patted Felicity's shoulder and then headed towards the others.

Felicity ran her hands roughly over her face as tears fell. She was a wreck. Emotionally. Physically. Everything. She was just drained. There was too much to handle and she couldn't process any of this without just freaking out. Right now, freaking out seemed completely valid. As she watched Caitlin move to the others, all she could think was that she was likely telling them that she'd lost it (and she had) and that she was unstable (and she felt that way). It was weird to Felicity. Over the years, she'd spent so many times panicked, in fear for her life (and Tommy's)…all of those times…were not anywhere near as terrifying as that moment.

It made no sense.

Amanda Waller and her ARGUS agents had done a lot. They'd held her in dark, cold, and empty grey rooms with a freezing concrete floor. For a while, she'd been held somewhere that had a high up tiny window that let it just enough light to illuminate a cream colored wall that's paint was peeling. They'd made her hack things for them, to rework their system against cyber threats, and basically…do anything that they wanted that involved a computer or code. As hard as it had been to be alone during her pregnancy, the constant threat (and honest reality) that they could take Tommy away at any moment had been the real terrifying thing. All of her praying that they'd come and find her. Everything that she'd done to try to keep herself sane. Everything that she'd done so that when Oliver DID come, that Tommy was definitely his son: the name, how she'd describe Oliver in detail to Tommy every night and tell him that Oliver loved him, and even the Arrow stories…

It felt like, right now, it should FEEL like it had all been worth it.

It didn't feel like that.

"Hey."

Felicity blinked and looked over to see Oliver holding Tommy. She'd been surprised that Tommy had seemed so fine to be with people that he technically didn't know, people that were his family. "Hi," she whispered back.

He set Tommy down on the bed next to her and then sat so that their son was between them. This was the first time in three years that they'd been this close. Felicity didn't even think he'd been this close to her back at the ARGUS building when they'd found her. He'd been hesitant. She'd been scared. For a moment, she'd been certain that she had been hallucinating. This was the closest they'd been to a real family.

"Do you remember the last time we were together?" she found herself asking as she stared at him. Her fingers reached out to Tommy, wanting…needing some physical contact with her son. Their son.

"Yes," he whispered.

Felicity smiled at the thought of their lunch that day. That day had been the best day she'd had up until ARGUS had taken her away. She'd woken in her own bed, but with Oliver's arms wrapped around her and his naked body pressed against hers. Their relationship had grown, but they'd been attempting to keep things quiet between them. That wasn't easy with Diggle as a friend, it was like he had psychic or telepathic abilities.

"That morning…that lunch…I think of it every day," she admitted.

It didn't matter where she was, what ARGUS wanted, or how they were trying to go about getting her to do what they wanted (either by putting her in a dark, freezing room or by taking Tommy), she would always think of each detail. It wasn't just emotions or remembering his touches, but also how the sun had peeked in through the curtains or how they'd fought about what to have for breakfast or argued about whether or not Diggle knew.

Diggle knew.

He had to.

There was no keeping anything from him.

"I was just glad that the last thing hadn't been a fight."

She lit up suddenly. Arguments were sometimes a staple of theirs, usually when it came to Arrow business, but she was always right and she always reminded him of that. "It was sort of a flight…about John…" They both looked towards him for a moment and she let out a small giggle. "I'm certain he knows now…"

"He does."

Felicity looked back to Oliver and noticed him staring. "What?"

"Are you okay? Really?"

There was concern written all over his face. She really didn't know how to answer that question. "They didn't hurt me, if that's what you're asking…"

"Yes…and no."

Felicity sucked in a breath and looked down at Tommy. "I will be…you're just going to have to be patient…with me…" she told him as she looked back up to Oliver. "With us…"

"With all of us."

Time.

That was all they needed.

* * *

TBC…


	13. Lance: Family

_"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." ~ Buddha_

* * *

The drive to Central City had given him far too much time to think. Over the past few years, crime in Starling City had gone down. That didn't mean that it didn't happen, it did. Drugs, murder, petty stuff…the whole spectrum. The one thing that didn't happen was for a case to stay open for long. Quentin was the police captain for SCPD and though he didn't like the fact that there were vigilantes running the streets (and they'd had their tough and okay times), he had to admit…Starling City did better with them there.

He hated to admit that, though.

There had only been ONE case that hadn't been solved or resolved in some way in the last three years. The disappearance of Felicity Smoak. When he'd gotten the call, Quentin had felt like he was going to wake up from some dream. It hadn't just been the Arrow's vigilante team that had been looking for her…Ray Palmer and Palmer Technologies had put out rewards and resources…STAR Labs had devoted time and effort to finding her…let alone all of the countless law enforcement agencies. He'd even told that ARGUS was looking into it.

If all of those people could look for Felicity Smoak and come back with absolutely nothing, then Quentin had felt like it was useless (and he hated to think that, especially about a young girl like Felicity). She reminded him of Sara. There was just something about her, no matter if she was trying to help the Arrow or if she was being defiant. Felicity reminded him of Sara and he couldn't shake that.

So, he was overloaded with relief as he drove knowing that she'd been found.

* * *

A child.

It made sense, when he thought about it. As much as Oliver Queen something irked him, Quentin had to admit that Oliver and Felicity made sense. Plus, he knew exactly how Oliver had felt all of these years…they'd had many a coffee together…exchanging the information that never led anywhere.

They were healthy and safe right now, that was all that mattered.

"What's his name?" Lance asked as he and Detective West moved from where they'd stopped, just watching for a moment.

"Tommy," Felicity replied quietly.

"Tommy," Quentin repeated and let it sink in. "I like it."

Everyone seemed a little on edge, but that was to be expected, Lance felt. Felicity had been gone for three years and to be surprised by this child (at least he was fairly sure it had been a surprise as no one had said anything). He heard Joe let out a chuckle and looked over to his friend before looking back at the 'kids'. Somehow…these people…they'd become family over the years. He knew what they all did and as much as he wanted to condemn them, he knew the good they did. He knew that this world needed them…and he needed them. He needed to have that extra bit of family in his life.

"I hope you're not going to mind me spoiling him," Quentin said as he moved away from Joe and got closer to Felicity, Oliver, and Tommy. He watched as the boy played with Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin. If they weren't in Central City, Quentin would have commented that it looked like Oliver and Felicity already had a good set of babysitters…

When Felicity looked up at him, all he could see was Sara. Scared, worried, and likely feeling like she was broken…even though he knew she wasn't. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head. "I'm glad you're home," he whispered. "Well…almost home…with us…you know what I mean…" His rambling earned him a smile from her.

"I missed you," Felicity admitted. "This. Everyone."

"Everyone needs their family, right?"

"Even when you don't realize that it IS a family…not until you lose it."

And they were family.

All of them.

No matter how they found each other, how they were misfits for whatever reason, or their job title (or even their night life)…they were a family and no one was going to take that away from them. Quentin didn't know what the next year would look like for him or anyone else, but he knew that it was going to be a lot better because they had Felicity Smoak and this unexpected child in all of their lives.

* * *

The End.


End file.
